Reserve helps men's team

Published: Monday, December 2, 2013 at 12:43 AM.

ELON — The magnetic pull between Elon and Columbia didn’t feature a game-winning shot in the final seconds this time.

It just had a game-tying shot in the last second of regulation.

After Columbia’s Alex Rosenberg hit a 3-pointer with .4 seconds left to force overtime, Elon edged Columbia 68-65 in men’s basketball in a non-conference game Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym.

“We’ve had four consecutive years where we’ve played Columbia and every game has been a nail-biter. This year was no different,” Elon coach Matt Matheny said.

The difference this year was Phoenix’s play inside, sparked by Lucas Troutman’s 16 points — 14 of which came after halftime — and junior Kevin Blake’s career-high 12 points.

A pair of free throws by Blake with 2:02 left in overtime gave Elon (4-4) the lead for good, with Troutman adding a running hook shot with 30 seconds left to bump the lead to 65-61.

After Columbia drained another 3 with 14 seconds left, Tanner Samson made two free throws and Ryley Beaumont added another. Those free throws were a contrast to the end of regulation, when Blake and Austin Hamilton — who had a team-high 17 points — each missed on the front ends of 1-and-1 situations in the final 30 seconds while Elon led 57-54.

ELON — The magnetic pull between Elon and Columbia didn’t feature a game-winning shot in the final seconds this time.

It just had a game-tying shot in the last second of regulation.

After Columbia’s Alex Rosenberg hit a 3-pointer with .4 seconds left to force overtime, Elon edged Columbia 68-65 in men’s basketball in a non-conference game Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym.

“We’ve had four consecutive years where we’ve played Columbia and every game has been a nail-biter. This year was no different,” Elon coach Matt Matheny said.

The difference this year was Phoenix’s play inside, sparked by Lucas Troutman’s 16 points — 14 of which came after halftime — and junior Kevin Blake’s career-high 12 points.

A pair of free throws by Blake with 2:02 left in overtime gave Elon (4-4) the lead for good, with Troutman adding a running hook shot with 30 seconds left to bump the lead to 65-61.

After Columbia drained another 3 with 14 seconds left, Tanner Samson made two free throws and Ryley Beaumont added another. Those free throws were a contrast to the end of regulation, when Blake and Austin Hamilton — who had a team-high 17 points — each missed on the front ends of 1-and-1 situations in the final 30 seconds while Elon led 57-54.

That sent Elon to a victory in a game in which it was rarely comfortable, yet never trailed.

“In overtime, we had guys really take over, really get to the rim and that was the big difference for us,” Troutman said. “With Kevin … being able to play above the rim, higher than they can all get to, that’s a big advantage.”

Troutman played for the first time this season without his protective facemask. After a stray elbow caught him in the nose in the second half, the senior was pondering a trip to the locker room to retrieve the mask.

“I can’t really see with it and I don’t really like it too much,” Troutman said of the mask. “I get hit more with the mask on than I do without it. I’d rather take my one shot as opposed to my six.”

Instead, Troutman and team trainer Eric Stolsved “stuffed a couple pieces of gauze up there” and the forward was unhindered the rest of the way.

After Columbia scored the first five points of the second half to tie the game at 29-29, Troutman and Blake each scored 10 points in the second half.

Blake didn’t play in the first half. He finished with four rebounds and made five of the seven shots he took.

“We needed to attack, I attacked. We needed to get rebounds, I helped the boys get rebounds. I just did what I had to do to help,” Blake said.

Elon held a 55-48 lead with less than four minutes to go but went cold, allowing Columbia (4-4) to force overtime.

The Phoenix scored the first 15 points of the game and didn’t allow a point until there was 10:48 left in the first half. Highlighted in that stretch were two 3s by Hamilton and a defense that forced 10 missed shots and four turnovers.

Columbia stormed back and Elon needed a 3 from Hamilton — who was 4-for-4 from behind the arc — to go into halftime leading 29-24.

“We started off hot, but basketball is a game of runs. With a team like that, we’re expecting them to make a run,” Hamilton said. “They’re a good team. I’m glad we got the best of them (Sunday).”

■ TIP INS …:Columbia was led by Rosenberg’s 19 points. … Of Columbia’s 11 players who played, 10 committed at least one turnover. … Blake’s previous career high of eight points came against Division III Manchester University last season.